Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-07
FAIR MOUNTAINS OF FLESH.
A 7OO-Pound Venus-A Colossal
ChocoIate-CoIored Beauty.

"There is something funny about fat
woman. In the first place, she is the only
one of her generation In family with
that affection, and in the second she is
uniformly good natured and kind. | have
never yet seen one in the business who
was bad tempered" said a close observer
to Detroit Tribune reporter. Sometimes
l persuade myself that flesh lie the ground
work of atfaoility. The fieshiest woman
in America to-day is the kindest-hearted
being in the world. These curiositIes are
the best standard attractions IN museums
and circuses. They can earn more money
and are more popular with visitors. Be-
sides this, they are the patron spirits of
the curiosity halls, and look after the
welfare and comfort OF those about them.
Another funny thing about these women
is their love Tor dwarts. They take to
them like fly does to sugar.
"Ghey would ali be good people to have
in this State about this time, for their in
temperance excuses amount simply to
sarsaparllla pop drinking. Namiah, a
German, whose home was originally In
Kansas City, drinks beer. She is the only
fat woman on exhibition to-day who tastes
ardent spirits of any sort. There is a
reason for all this. Flesh and alcohol are
antagonistic. A tleshy person is possessed
OF more blood. 1t is of warmer tenn
stop and think how many fat drunkards
you ever saw. If a person is given to
flesh he will not make liquor his COM
panion to the extent OF the gutter and
police station. But these big people have
an abnormal appetite for liquid nOurish-
ment. They drink sarsaparilla pop BY
the Dottle, and Namiah disposes of beer
by cases.
Another characteristic of t1esny
women sis their preference for men of
slender build. Hannah BatterSby, the
best known of fat women, married tall,
emaciated fellow who weighed IA pounds
at the time the knot was tied. This was
some years ago. and ever since then the
husband bias been growing in weight
He now weighs 1873 pounds. Mrs. Bat
tersby's husband was known as 'skele-
tom at the time of his marriage, ana
as he and his wife were with
Barnum at that time good deal
of capital was made OF the matter. Peo-
pie got the idea that fat women always
married skeletons. This Is not the case,
and so far as l know Mrs. Battersby is
the only lady who ever did so. But her
contemporaries, nevertheless, have a
weakness for men OF slight physique.
Winnie johnson, the highest salaried fat
woman on the stage, has for life part
ner little man whom she welded twenty
years ago. They have four children. At
the time of Mrs. Jonnson's marriage she
weighed 500 pounds. Now she tips the
beam at 100 pounds.
america produces more professional
fat ladies than all other countries COM
bined. Germany ranks second. In Al
RIGA there are great many women who
might earn good salaries in museums, but
1t wouldn't pay to import them. The
women Of the European continent are
more inclined to flesh, as a class, than
those upon this side Of the Atlantic, but
they seldom develop such an amount of
supertiuOus tissue.
Hannah Battersby is the most cor
pulent woman in America. She is "A
years old and weighs 72S pounds. Mrs.
Battersby commands q salary OF 500 per
week, and continues to increase in
weight. Two weeks ago she became
blind, the flesh about her eyes shutting
out the light of the outside world. A
peculiaritv of Mrs. Battersby is her abil-
ity to climb stairs. Although unable to
walk dozen feet without support, she
can climb any stairway by simply grasp
ing the bannister rail. Mrs. Battersby is
well educated. She has been fifteen years
before the public.
"Her greatest rival is Mrs. johnson, a
colored woman from Indianapolis, who is
getting $3.50 at a Chicago museum. This
is the highest salary paid any woman in
this line OF curios. Mrs. Johnson Is AZ
years old. at Is her weight was 259
pounds. Ada Briggs, 10 years old, 4S5
pounds, is five feet four inches In height.
She has magnificent figure and is ranked
the handsOmest woman in the profession.
"rhere are two instances where two
children in one family were given to re-
markable obesity. The Hill children, both
girls, and twins. are l6 years old aud
weigh 1913 and 226 pounds. Peter and
Nellie Brahim are respectively % and 81
years old and their combined weight Is
800 pounds. Every woman on exhibition
has q weakness for confectionery and
cake. Hannah Battersby can eat a pound
of CONNECTIONS a day without fiinohing.
She aud Mrs. johnson are transported
from town to town In baggage cars. Fifty
years is the limit Of lie with people OF
this class"
"Are fat men good curiosities?"
"No, fat men have all played out, Peo-
pie do not care to see great, dropsical.
seething man, sitting calmly on a stage
all day long, doing nothing but breathe,
and not dong That very well. The reason
these curiosities continue to gain flesh is
becausethey take no exercise. They all
die OF heart disease or choke to DEATH"